The jaw-dropping winning shots in the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 contest revealed 

Here’s the overall winner of the 2021 Landscape Photographer of Year Award. American Mara Leite captured this stunning picture, “Morning at Countryside”. It features Mill Lane, a well-known footpath in Halnaker (West Sussex). Leite says: “I was looking for another composition when I decided that I would turn the other direction and saw this beautiful sight. I love the gate in background and the way the morning light hits the leaves and enters the tunnel softly.

Andy Gray, a photographer, is behind this magical wintry shot. It is the runner-up in the Your View category. It was taken near Gray’s Derbyshire home, Matlock in Peak District. He says: ‘I first discovered [this spot]While commuting back to work a few decades ago. It is just off a main street with no obvious parking, so I only ever glanced at the window when passing it. In my mind’s eye I could sense it had potential.’ With his camera, he finally made it to the pathway last winter. Reflecting on his winning shot, he said that he liked the combination of snow, fog, and light coming off the left.

This striking shot shows Calderdale street, West Yorkshire. Titled ‘Heading Home’, it was snared by Robert Birkby, and is highly commended in the Urban Life category. Birkby says, “I had wanted to visit this street in atmospheric conditions since a long time, but when I arrived, the fog wasn’t quite so dense as I hoped,” I took a few photos in the rain because the cobbles, dark gritstone houses and other buildings look amazing in the rain. I was about to pack up and go when a friendly man approached and we chatted for quite some time. As he was walking away, I noticed that the fog had thickened a bit so I quickly snapped this shot as I watched him walk down the hill. 

This stunning photograph, which was commended in the History category, shines a spotlight on the historic Hardknott Roman Fort in Eskdale in Cumbria. Stuart McGlennon is the photographer behind this image. He says that “The Hardknott Roman Fort” is a place that has always fascinated me. I find the history of this spot fascinating. I often wonder what it would have been like to watch the sun set over Ireland from this point in time. Personally, I love the view, especially in winter when the low afternoon sunlight illuminates the intricate patterns in the walls. 

LEFT: Describing this atmospheric image, photographer James Whitesmith says: ‘Traditional dry stone walls zig-zag across the fields beneath Malham Lings in the Yorkshire Dales, as the rising sun begins to light the scene.’ It is highly recommended in the Your View section. Whitesmith recalls that he arrived at the location before sunrise. The entire valley was covered in thick fog. But as the minutes passed, it began to shift and retreat. This particular scene caught me attention, and fortunately the swirling cloud revealed the copse just as the first light was coming through the trees. RIGHT:  A spectacular misty shot this time captured by Robin Dodd. His image won first place in the Your View category. It shows a runner running in the dawn mist along the towpath in Henley On Thames. “My nightly routine is to check my phones for morning fog or mist down by the river. Dodd explained that he would take the camera down there before sunrise if the conditions were right. The photographer describes these misty conditions in a’stunning show of light’ and says that he likes setting up his camera against the towpath and shooting ‘as mist and sunlight play out their show. Dodd added: “Rowers and runner, cyclists, dog walker, there are endless combinations to choose from when it’s time for breakfast.”

This striking shot captures what is believed to have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley from Harry Potter movies. The Shambles in York are home to buildings dating back to the 14th Century. It is called “Ghosts of York” and was taken at 5am in the early morning by Ashley Groom, whose early rising efforts earned him a commended award in the Landscapes at Night category.

This stunning photograph of Warwickshire’s Chesterton Windmill, which was the winner in the Classic View category, is the main focal point. George shares the story behind the image. “I was returning from Birmingham, to Southampton, and I was going along the M40 Motorway. I decided to make a detour to Chesterton Windmill because the sky looked good. I had been there many times before to try and get a good sky. The shot was taken in the late afternoon.

Tomasz Rojik captured this exquisite image of Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire. It was commended in Historic Britain. The photographer said that the photo was taken during a trip to Scotland in May 2019. He also added: “The man in upper right corner shows scale of the landscape.”

Gill Moon, a photographer from Suffolk, says that Gill captured a stunning photograph of a misty morning sunrise over Ramsholt’s grazing marsh. She adds: “This marsh area sits beside River Deben. It is one my favourite spots in Suffolk. The Classic View category runner-up awarded the picture. Moon says: “I was particularly drawn by the light on the Reeds and the way that these two trees seemed like they were reaching out to one another.”

This photograph, appropriately titled “Enchanted Winter”, is highly commended under the Classic View category. Michael Allberry, a Peak District photographer who captured this image, said that he loved the contrast of the centrally lit frosted branches and the darker contrast of those to the right. He said that the scene reminded him of a childhood fairy tale about an enchanted forest, with its Narnia-like characteristics. The central tree was framed by the branches, which I thought added to the scene.

This majestic image, which is highly commended under the Classic View category, shows Bat’s Head chalk headland in Dorset. James Ewer, a photographer, says about the shot: “After three visits on consecutive nights I got the soft gold light I was looking for.”

This charmingly bucolic shot taken by Miles Middlebrook won first place in Black and White. It shows mist rise from the River Brathay near Skelwith Bridge in Cumbria’s Lake District, half an hour after daybreak

This photo, which is the top of the podium in the Lines in the Landscape section, depicts an amazing shot of the Jacobite steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland’s highlands. Malcolm Blenkey, photographer says that he chose this viewpoint instead of using the usual vantage point because if the sun breaks through the cloud when the train arrived, it would be the best way for me to show the contrast between the majestic man-made structure and the natural beauty of the area.

This magnificent shot was taken at London’s Richmond Park. Daniel Langer, who took the photo, was highly commended in Urban Life. Langer states that the photograph shows two Juvenile Red Deer Stags learning the rut to prepare for the real event in the seasons to come. He says that he was lucky because he was in the right place at the perfect time and under the right conditions. I saw a small, raised clearing in the bracken, and several red-deer nearby. I set up my tripod to watch the sunrise. These two stags took to the mound and locked their antlers in a practice rut. I was stunned at my luck. Langer describes the scene as a street fight with the deer entering and the spectators watching from afar.

In this stunning landscape shot, an Alberta steam locomotive rides over the Dent Head Viaduct in Cumbria. This is the second-place winner in the Lines in the Landscape section. Matthew Turner was behind the camera. He said: “On a day when there were frequent torrential rains, I was fortunate enough to capture this locomotive crossing Dent Head Viaduct during an intermittent dry spell. The conditions were perfect for me and made for a very atmospheric shot.

This stunning photo was commended in Landscapes at Night. It depicts Braithwaite, a Cumbrian village, engulfed in mist. Jason Hudson, a photographer from the Lake District, explains that this shot was made during a pre-dawn climb to Grisdale Pike. He says, “I noticed the light trails in the mist and thought it might make a compelling photograph.”

Low mist and cloud descend from the hills in Fife to the Forth Bridge, which is a railway bridge that crosses the Scottish Highlands. Grant Bulloch captured the image in the Lines in the Landscape category. The judges agree that the yachts add a dimension to the photo.

Mark Bauer was honoured with a commended honor in the Black and white category for this stunning shot taken along the Devon coast. He said, “I had hoped for a vibrant sunset, but the sun was setting in thick clouds on the horizon, so it wasn’t going that way.” So I went with black and white and a composition that was based on the strong shapes, textures, and colors of the bay.

Amazing drone shot of The Batch, a volcano-shaped pile of waste mining material in Somerset. It was taken in Classic View Youth by Henri Abbott.

LEFT: Runner up in Historic Britain category in this incredible shot by James Rushforth showing comet Neowise passing through Wiltshire’s Stonehenge. He said, “It’s amazing to think that this historic location did not exist when Neowise last passed Earth.” The comet is expected to return in approximately 6,800 year. I wonder if they will still be standing. This is a one-exposure photo taken on July 20, early in the morning. The orange glow is caused by light pollution from nearby villages of Durrington & Larkhill. A passing lorry also painted the rocks with light. RIGHT: Ian Asprey takes home the gold medal in the Landscapes at Night category for this ethereal shot of the lighthouse at Penmon Point in Anglesey, Wales. He said: “I wanted an iconic landmark with this extraterrestrial delight, so a lot more planning and using apps brought me to Anglesey. I finally found the sky I was looking for. I took a lot of photos and chose this image because it reflected the land in a sort of symmetry. It was a shoot-at-all costs situation, as I knew that my eyes would never again see this space odyssey, which combines our world with the unknown.

Landscape Photographer of the Year Collection 14 by Ilex is out now in hardback (£26)